FAQ About Our Self Publishing Services
DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY
HOW FAST DO YOU GET A PRINT BOOK TO MARKET?
Usually within a month. We also offer an expedited service for an additional fee that gets a print book to market usually within two weeks.
WHERE ARE YOUR PRINT BOOKS LISTED AND SOLD?
Our print books are currently listed on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, booksamillion.com, Chapters/Indigo, and many other smaller, online bookstores across the globe.
ARE YOUR BOOKS DISTRIBUTED BY INGRAM, THE WORLD’S LARGEST BOOK DISTRIBUTOR?
Yes, our print books are distributed by Ingram, the largest book distributor. Ingram sends a feed to more than 40,000 retailers, libraries, and schools that contains the metadata for all books they distribute (including BookLocker's, of course). Any bookstore with an Ingram account can pick up Ingram’s feed so you’ll find your book listed in stores you’ve never heard of - around the globe. Most bookstores use Ingram’s database to find and order books so bookstore customers can ask their neighborhood bookstore to order your book as well. Of course, our books are also listed in R.R. Bowker’s database. Bowker is the United States ISBN agency.
WHERE ARE YOUR EBOOKS LISTED?
Our ebooks are on Amazon (for the Kindle), BarnesandNoble.com (for the Nook), Apple (for iPads, iPods and iPhones), Kobo (Canada’s popular ebook retailer), Overdrive (which sells ebooks to more than 40K libraries and schools in 70 countries), and BookLocker.com, of course. Effective 2/1/22, we are also now adding newly published ebooks to Google Play (a.k.a. Google Books).
ARE YOUR BOOKS IN THE MAJOR BOOKSTORE DATABASES?
Yes.
CAN MY READERS SPECIAL ORDER MY BOOK(S) FROM THEIR LOCAL BOOKSTORE?
Yes.
SUBMIT YOUR MANUSCRIPT FOR CONSIDERATION.
or
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THE COSTS
WHERE CAN I SEE A CHART COMPARING YOUR BLACK-AND-WHITE-INTERIOR PROGRAMS?
Please see the chart on our front page here:
https://publishing.BookLocker.com
HOW DO YOUR COSTS COMPARE TO THE MOST POPULAR POD PUBLISHERS?
See a POD Price Comparison here:
https://writersweekly.com/compare
DO YOU PUBLISH COLOR-INTERIOR BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND/OR ADULTS?
Yes. See:
https://publishing.BookLocker.com/booklocker-color-pod-program
DO YOU OFFER AN EXPEDITED/RUSH SERVICE?
Yes. For an additional $350 (that includes original paperback cover design), we'll get your paperback edition on the market approx. two weeks after you send your final file to us. You can request the hardcover add-on at a discount with the program but black-and-white-interior paperback is the only format eligible for the Expedited program.
DO “RETURNING AUTHORS” AND AUTHORS OF MULTIPLE BOOKS GET ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS?
Absolutely! Authors of multiple books, and BookLocker authors returning with a second or subsequent book (“returning authors”), get $158 off our regular "At-Your-Service" program costs.
I AM UPSET WITH MY CURRENT PUBLISHER. CAN YOU GIVE ME A SPECIAL DEAL TO MOVE MY BOOK TO BOOKLOCKER?
Yes. “Disgruntled Authors” who are moving to BookLocker from another publisher get the same special price as our “returning authors” - as described above.
ROYALTIES!
HOW MUCH WILL I MAKE EACH TIME YOU SELL ONE OF MY BOOKS?
Print Royalties
35% of the list price for public sales of print books sold through BookLocker.com
15% of the list price for print books sold through other distributors/retailers/etc.
BookLocker.com Ebook Royalties
70% of the list price for ebooks priced $8.95 or higher.
50% of the list price for ebooks priced under $8.95.
Third-party Ebook Royalties (Amazon, BN.com, Apple and Kobo)
65% OF THE NET AMOUNT BookLocker.com is paid for each ebook priced $10 or higher.
55% OF THE NET AMOUNT BookLocker.com is paid for each ebook priced under $10.
WHEN DO YOU PAY ROYALTIES?
We pay royalties on the fifth business day of the month to authors with an unpaid royalty balance of $40 or more on the last day of the previous month.
DO YOU OFFER 24-HOUR ONLINE ACCESS TO ROYALTY INFO?
Yes. Each author has their own account in our system that they can access at any time. It includes all sales for which we have been paid (BookLocker.com-direct sales are credited instantly) and a list of all payments made to the author in the past.
SUBMIT YOUR MANUSCRIPT FOR CONSIDERATION.
or
IN A HURRY? SIGN UP TODAY!
ORIGINAL COVER DESIGN
HOW MUCH IS COVER DESIGN, IF PURCHASED SEPARATELY FROM YOUR FULL-SERVICE PUBLISHING PACKAGES?
Original cover design is included in all of our programs except the D.I.Y. one. If you need cover design as an add-on for that:
Paperback – Original cover design is $350
Hardcover – Original cover design is $475
Ebook – Not necessary if you have already purchased print cover design. Original ebook cover design is $225.
If you need rush service on any of these, there will be an additional $100 rush service fee.
WHERE CAN I SEE SAMPLES OF YOUR ORIGINAL COVER DESIGN?
At the link below, click on each cover to see the entire cover spread (front, back and spine) –
https://www.BookLocker.com/covers/covers.html#center
CAN I SUBMIT MY OWN COVER AT NO EXTRA CHARGE?
Yes. If you are not a D.I.Y. author, we will work with you at no additional charge to ensure your cover is to spec.
RIGHTS
DOES THE AUTHOR OWN ALL RIGHTS TO THEIR PRODUCTION FILES?
Yes, and you can request copies at any time after your files are uploaded to the printer (because they won't be ready until then). Almost every one of our competitors claims ALL RIGHTS to the files their authors pay them to create. BookLocker does NOT. It's YOUR book and YOU own it!
SUBMIT YOUR MANUSCRIPT FOR CONSIDERATION.
or
IN A HURRY? SIGN UP TODAY!
OTHER
WHY SHOULD I USE BOOKLOCKER INSTEAD OF SOMEBODY ELSE?
– Low fees with outstanding, one-on-one, personal customer service!
– In business since, 1998, BookLocker is family-owned. In 2021, all of our employees moved from Florida's beautiful gulf coast (too many hurricanes!) to Georgia. Some of us are located just north of Atlanta while others are located on a mountain in Trenton, GA, just 30 minutes south of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Made in the U.S.A.!
– BookLocker does not have a stuffy, arrogant board of directors telling us how to treat our authors. You have DIRECT access, via your author account (and email), to the President & CEO, Angela Hoy. She makes all final decisions about the company. On a personal note, she's very friendly and, quite frankly, a really down to Earth chick! She plays guitar and sings (even occasionally in public - at church) and she NEVER wears pantyhose. She also fancies herself an amateur ventriloquist (also for church functions). She's not very good at it but the kiddos don't seem to mind. 😉
– The charities BookLocker donates to on a regular basis are the local food bank in Trenton, Georgia, which provides extra meals for needy kids to take home on weekends, children's hospitals, and OldDogHaven.org. Our President and CEO, Angela, and our Operations Manager, Brian, helped build, and are now helping to maintain the local community garden. They also donate their time to special projects for local needy and/or ill neighbors (cooking and food delivery, building ramps for wheelchair-bound folks, and more).
– BookLocker has published more than 13,000 print and electronic titles, and has an exemplary reputation. You can read numerous unsolicited author testimonials HERE.
– Made in the U.S.A.! BookLocker is an American-owned and -operated company. Our printer is also an American company. We don’t have a "call center" or an “author marketing department” overseas that employs telemarketers to upsell our authors on worthless products and services. We don’t have an “author marketing department” at all! We detest junk mail, spam, and telemarketers just as much as you do.
– One-on-one relationship with our authors. You will never be juggled from one “representative” to another. BookLocker is small and lean. Since we are selective about what we publish, we are able to devote personal attention to each and every author.
– An industry leader. BookLocker is one of the original POD publishers with 13,000+ print and electronic titles published in 20+ years – and we're still going strong!
– BookLocker.com has been given the highest rating (“Outstanding”) by attorney Mark Levine in his book, The Fine Print of Self Publishing, which rates the contracts and services of Print on Demand companies.
Here’s what Mark Levine says about BookLocker.com:
“As close to perfection as you’re going to find in the world of ebook and POD publishing. The ebook royalties are the highest I’ve ever seen, and the print royalties are better than average. BookLocker understands what new authors experience, and has put together a package that is the best in the business. You can’t go wrong here. Plus, they’re selective and won’t publish any manuscript just because it’s accompanied by a check. Also, the web site is well trafficked. If you can find a POD or epublisher with as much integrity and dedication to selling authors’ books, but with lower POD publishing fees, please let me know.”
– Booklocker is listed as "recommended" by the Alliance of Independent Authors.
– A+ Rating at the Better Business Bureau
– Fighting for the rights of indie authors!
BookLocker sued Amazon back in 2008 when they tried to force us to pay them to print our books – and we won. BookLocker’s books remain on Amazon due to the agreement Amazon signed. (Amazon also had to pay BookLocker’s attorneys $300K.) You can read about the case HERE.
– BookLocker.com is the parent company of WritersWeekly.com. Our President & CEO, Angela Hoy, has been fighting for the rights of freelance writers and authors since 1997.
WHAT ARE YOUR AUTHORS SAYING ABOUT YOU?
Please read unsolicited testimonials from our authors HERE.
WHAT SIZES DO YOU OFFER?
5 x 7
5 x 8
5.5 x 8.5
6 x 9
7 x 10
8 x 8
8.5 x 8.5
8 x 10
8.5 x 11
WHAT FONTS DO YOU OFFER?
Arial
Baskerville
Book Antiqua
Bookman Old Style
Calibri
Cambria
Century
Century Gothic
Comic Sans MS
Franklin Gothic
Georgia
Impact
Palatino Linotype
Papyrus
Quick Type
Segoe Print
Segoe Script
Tahoma
Times New Roman
Trebuchet MS
Verdana
DO YOU GIVE AUTHORS DISCOUNTS WHEN THEY BUY THEIR OWN BOOKS?
Yes, starting at 35% on orders up to 25 copies, with increasingly deeper discounts on larger orders.
DO YOU OFFER SHORT-RUN PRINTING ON LARGE ORDERS OF 2,000 COPIES OR MORE AT A SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS?
Absolutely! Quote are available, and vary based on the book's type/size.
DO YOU UPSELL AUTHORS ON WORTHLESS COFFEE MUGS, T-SHIRTS, CROWDED CO-OP ADS, AND OTHER STUFF?
No. We provide all BookLocker authors with a free copy of 90+ Days of Promoting Your Book Online: Your Book’s Daily Marketing Plan plus a free copy of 50 Do's and Don'ts of Book Selling. We are also always available for free advice, as well as the exchange of creative marketing ideas.
DO I KEEP MY RIGHTS?
Yes. BookLocker authors own ALL rights to their books AND their production files!
HOW EASY IS IT FOR ME TO TERMINATE MY CONTRACT?
You can terminate your contract same-day by contacting us through your author account. Yes, it's that easy! 🙂
DO YOU PUBLISH ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE DOES?
No. BookLocker.com screens manuscripts for quality and salability. Selling bad books ultimately hurts all authors because bookstores, libraries, and even general readers won’t buy again from a company that sold them a poor product. Many bookstores and libraries refuse to buy books published by Amazon KDP because they will publish pretty much anything coming over the e-transom. That's just one example. Some of our other competitors have been blacklisted by retailers and libraries as well.
DO YOU HAVE ANY HIDDEN FEES?
No. We don’t charge extra for photos/graphics in black and white interior books if your book has 50 or fewer included. We also don't charge extra for tables, endnotes, etc. in black-and-white-interior print books, and we don’t upsell authors on a bunch of products/services they don’t need.
DO YOU PROVIDE AN ISBN AND BARCODE AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE?
Yes, or you can use your own. It’s your choice.
CAN I PRINT MY COMPANY’S NAME/LOGO INSTEAD OF YOURS IN/ON MY BOOK?
Yes.
ARE EBOOKS INCLUDED IN YOUR FULL-SERVICE PUBLISHING PROGRAMS?
Yes, for basic formatting. Ebooks with complex formatting may incur additional fees. You can request a quote at any time. Most books do not require additional fees.
DOES THE AUTHOR RECEIVE A PRINT PROOF OF THEIR BOOK?
Yes. You will receive (and must approve) the first printed/bound copy of your book before we can release it to the masses.
HOW QUICKLY DO YOU PUBLISH PRINT BOOKS?
We usually get a black-and-white-interior print book to market within a month of the author sending their final file to us. Color-interior books can take a bit longer. We have an Expedited service that gets a book to market in approx. two weeks.
DO YOU CHARGE AN ANNUAL DISTRIBUTION OR HOSTING FEE TO KEEP PRINT BOOKS ON THE MARKET?
Yes. The annual fee is $18. This keeps your PRINT book active on BookLocker.com, as well as in the printer's and distributor's systems. Other firms charge upwards of $75 or more per year for this exact same service. There are NO annual fees for ebooks.
WHERE CAN I READ YOUR CONTRACT?
https://publishing.booklocker.com/contract.txt
WHERE CAN I SIGN UP?
SUBMIT YOUR MANUSCRIPT FOR CONSIDERATION.
or